Commission Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 (repealed)Show full title

[F1 [F2 PART 6: U.K. MARKETING STANDARD FOR PEARS

I. DEFINITION OF PRODUCE U.K.

This standard applies to pears of varieties (cultivars) grown from Pyrus communis L. to be supplied fresh to the consumer, pears for industrial processing being excluded.

II. PROVISIONS CONCERNING QUALITY U.K.

The purpose of the standard is to define the quality requirements of pears, after preparation and packaging.

A. Minimum requirements U.K.

In all classes, subject to the special provisions for each class and the tolerances allowed, pears must be:

• intact

• sound; produce affected by rotting or deterioration such as to make it unfit for consumption is excluded

• clean, practically free of any visible foreign matter

• practically free from pests

• free from damage caused by pests affecting the flesh

• free of abnormal external moisture

• free of any foreign smell and/or taste.

The development and condition of the pears must be such as to enable them:

• to continue their ripening process and to reach the degree of ripeness required in relation to the varietal characteristics

• to withstand transportation and handling

• to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination.

B. Classification U.K.

Pears are classified in three classes defined below:

(i) ‘ Extra ’ Class U.K.

Pears in this class must be of superior quality. In shape, size and colouring they must be characteristic of the variety and the stalk must be intact.

The flesh must be perfectly sound, and the skin free from rough russeting.

They must be free from defects with the exception of very slight superficial defects provided these do not affect the general appearance of the fruit, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package.

Pears must not be gritty.

(ii) Class I U.K.

Pears in this class must be of good quality. In shape, size and colouring they must be characteristic of the variety (1) .

The flesh must be perfectly sound, and the skin free from rough russeting.

The following slight defects, however, may be allowed, on individual fruit provided these do not affect the general appearance of the produce, the quality, the keeping quality and presentation in the package:

• a slight defect in shape

• a slight defect in development

• slight defects in colouring

• slight skin defects which must not extend over more than:

  • 2 cm in length for defects of elongated shape

  • 1 cm ² of total surface area for other defects, with the exception of scab ( Venturia pirina and V. inaequalis ), which must not extend over more than 0,25 cm ² cumulative in area

• slight bruising not exceeding 1 cm ² in area.

The stalk may be slightly damaged.

Pears must not be gritty.

(iii) Class II U.K.

This class includes pears which do not qualify for inclusion in the higher classes but satisfy the minimum requirements specified above.

The flesh must be free from major defects.

The following defects may be allowed provided the pears retain its essential characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping quality and presentation:

• defects in shape

• defects in development

• defects in colouring

• slight rough russeting

• skin defects which must not extend over more than:

  • 4 cm in length for defects of elongated shape

  • 2,5 cm ² total surface area for other defects, with the exception of scab ( Venturia pirina and V. inaequalis ), which must not extend over more than 1 cm ² cumulative in area

• slight bruising not exceeding 2 cm ² in area.

III. PROVISIONS CONCERNING SIZING U.K.

Size is determined by maximum diameter of the equatorial section.

A minimum size is required for each class as follows:

	‘ Extra ’	Class I	Class II
Large fruited varieties	60 mm	55 mm	55 mm
Other varieties	55 mm	50 mm	45 mm

Summer pears included in the Annex to this standard do not have to respect the minimum size.

To ensure there is uniformity of size within a package, the difference in diameter between fruit in the same package shall be limited to:

• 5 mm for ‘ Extra ’ Class fruit and for Class I and II fruit packed in rows and layers

• 10 mm for Class I fruit packed loose in the package or in consumer packages.

There is no sizing uniformity limit for Class II fruit packed loose in the package or in consumer packages.

IV. PROVISIONS CONCERNING TOLERANCES U.K.

Tolerances in respect of quality and size shall be allowed in each lot for produce not satisfying the requirements of the class indicated.

A. Quality tolerances U.K.

(i) ‘ Extra ’ Class U.K.

A total tolerance of 5 %, by number or weight, of pears not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of Class I is allowed. Within this tolerance not more than 0,5 % in total may consist of produce satisfying the requirements of Class II quality.

(ii) Class I U.K.

A total tolerance of 10 %, by number or weight, of pears not satisfying the requirements of the class but meeting those of Class II is allowed. Within this tolerance not more than 1 % in total may consist of produce neither satisfying the requirements of Class II quality nor the minimum requirements. Produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption is excluded. Pears without stalks are not included in this tolerance.

(iii) Class II U.K.

A total tolerance of 10 %, by number or weight, of pears satisfying neither the requirements of the class nor the minimum requirements is allowed. Produce affected by rotting or any other deterioration rendering it unfit for consumption is excluded.

Within this tolerance, a maximum of 2 % by number or weight of fruit is allowed which shows the following defects:

• slight damage or unhealed cracks

• very slight traces of rot

• presence of internal feeding pests and/or damage to the flesh caused by pests.

B. Size tolerances U.K.

For all classes:

(a)

for fruit which is subject to the rules of uniformity, 10 %, by number or weight, of fruit corresponding to the size immediately above or below that marked on the package, with, for fruit classified in the smallest grade allowed a maximum variation of 5 mm below the minimum;

(b)

for fruit which is not subject to the rules of uniformity, 10 %, by number or weight, of fruit below the minimum size laid down, with a maximum variation of 5 mm below the minimum size.

V. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PRESENTATION U.K.

A. Uniformity U.K.

The contents of each package must be uniform and contain only pears of the same origin, variety, quality, and size (if sized) and the same degree of ripeness.

In the case of the ‘ Extra ’ Class, uniformity also applies to colouring.

However, a mixture of pears of distinctly different varieties may be packed together in a sales unit (2) , provided they are uniform in quality and, for each variety concerned, in origin.

The visible part of the contents of the package must be representative of the entire contents.

B. Packaging U.K.

Pears must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce properly.

The materials used inside the package must be clean and of a quality such as to avoid causing any external or internal damage to the produce. The use of materials, particularly of paper or stamps bearing trade specifications is allowed provided the printing or labelling has been done with non-toxic ink or glue.

Stickers individually affixed on the produce shall be such that, when removed, they neither leave visible traces of glue, nor lead to skin defects.

Packages must be free of all foreign matter.

VI. PROVISIONS CONCERNING MARKING U.K.

Each package (3) must bear the following particulars, in letters grouped on the same side, legibly and indelibly marked, and visible from the outside.

A. Identification U.K.

Packer and/or dispatcher/shipper:

• name and physical address (e.g. street/city/region/postal code and, if different from the country of origin, the country)

  or

• a code mark officially recognised by the national authority (4) .

B. Nature of produce U.K.

• ‘ Pears ’ , if the contents are not visible from the outside.

• Name of the variety. In the case of sales units containing a mixture of pears of different varieties, names of the different varieties.

C. Origin of produce U.K.

• Country of origin and, optionally, district where grown, or national, regional or local place name. In the case of sales units containing a mixture of distinctly different varieties of pears of different origins, the indication of each country of origin shall appear next to the name of the variety concerned.

D. Commercial specifications U.K.

• Class

• Size, or for fruit packed in rows and layers, number of units. If identification is by the size, this should be expressed:

  (a)

  for produce subject to the uniformity rules, as minimum and maximum diameters

  (b)

  for produce not subject to the uniformity rules, the diameter of the smallest fruit in the package followed by ‘ and over ’ or equivalent denomination or, if appropriate, the diameter of the largest fruit in the package.

E. Official control mark (optional) U.K.

Packages need not bear the particulars mentioned in the first subparagraph, when they contain sales packages, clearly visible from the outside, and all bearing these particulars. These packages shall be free from any indications such as could mislead. When these packages are palletised, the particulars shall be given on a notice placed in an obvious position on at least two sides of the pallet.

Appendix U.K.

Size criteria for pears U.K.

L

=

Large fruited variety

SP

=

Summer pear, for which no minimum size is required.

Non-exhaustive list of large fruited and summer pear varieties U.K.

Small fruited and other varieties which do not appear in the list may be marketed as long as they meet the size requirements for other varieties as described in Section III of the standard.

Some of the varieties listed in the following may be marketed under names for which trademark protection has been sought or obtained in one or more countries. The first and second columns of the table hereunder do not intend to include such trade names. Reference to known trademarks have been included in the third column for information only.

Variety	Synonyms	Trade names	Size
Abbé Fétel	Abate Fetel		L
Abugo o Siete en Boca			SP
Akça			SP
Alka			L
Alsa			L
Amfora			L
Alexandrine Douillard			L
Bergamotten			SP
Beurré Alexandre Lucas	Lucas		L
Beurré Bosc	Bosc, Beurré d’Apremont, Empereur Alexandre, Kaiser Alexander		L
Beurré Clairgeau			L
Beurré	Hardenpont		L
Beurré Giffard			SP
Beurré précoce Morettini	Morettini		SP
Blanca de Aranjuez	Agua de Aranjuez, Espadona, Blanquilla		SP
Carusella			SP
Castell	Castell de Verano		SP
Colorée de Juillet	Bunte Juli		SP
Comice rouge			L
Concorde			L
Condoula			SP
Coscia	Ercolini		SP
Curé	Curato, Pastoren, Del cura de Ouro, Espadon de invierno, Bella de Berry, Lombardia de Rioja, Batall de Campana		L
D’Anjou			L
Dita			L
D. Joaquina	Doyenné de Juillet		SP
Doyenné d’hiver	Winterdechant		L
Doyenné du Comice	Comice, Vereinsdechant		L
Erika			L
Etrusca			SP
Flamingo			L
Forelle			L
Général Leclerc		Amber Grace™	L
Gentile			SP
Golden Russet Bosc			L
Grand champion			L
Harrow Delight			L
Jeanne d’Arc			L
Joséphine			L
Kieffer			L
Klapa Mīlule			L
Leonardeta	Mosqueruela, Margallon, Colorada de Alcanadre, Leonarda de Magallon		SP
Lombacad		Cascade®	L
Moscatella			SP
Mramornaja			L
Mustafabey			SP
Packham’s Triumph	Williams d’Automne		L
Passe Crassane	Passa Crassana		L
Perita de San Juan			SP
Pérola			SP
Pitmaston	Williams Duchesse		L
Précoce de Trévoux	Trévoux		SP
Président Drouard			L
Rosemarie			L
Suvenirs			L
Santa Maria	Santa Maria Morettini		SP
Spadoncina	Agua de Verano, Agua de Agosto		SP
Taylors Gold			L
Triomphe de Vienne			L
Vasarine Sviestine			L
Williams Bon Chrétien	Bon Chrétien, Bartlett, Williams, Summer Bartlett		L] ]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1221/2008 of 5 December 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 laying down implementing rules of Council Regulations (EC) No 2200/96, (EC) No 2201/96 and (EC) No 1182/2007 in the fruit and vegetable sector as regards marketing standards.

F2 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 771/2009 of 25 August 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 as regards certain marketing standards in the fruit and vegetable sector.

(1)

[F1 [F2 A non-exhaustive list of large fruited and summer pear varieties is included in the Annex to this standard.

(2)

The sales unit should be designed to be purchased in its entirety.

(3)

Package units of produce pre-packed for direct sale to the consumer shall not be subject to these marking provisions but shall conform to the national requirements. However, the markings referred to shall in any event be shown on the transport packaging containing such package units.

(4)

The national legislation of a number of countries requires the explicit declaration of the name and address. However, in the case where a code mark is used, the reference ‘ packer and/or dispatcher (or equivalent abbreviations) ’ has to be indicated in close connection with the code mark, and the code mark should be preceded by the ISO 3166 (alpha) country/area code of the recognising country, if not the country of origin.] ]

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1221/2008 of 5 December 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 laying down implementing rules of Council Regulations (EC) No 2200/96, (EC) No 2201/96 and (EC) No 1182/2007 in the fruit and vegetable sector as regards marketing standards.

F2 Substituted by Commission Regulation (EC) No 771/2009 of 25 August 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 1580/2007 as regards certain marketing standards in the fruit and vegetable sector.